Pendulum-regulator for clocks



(No Model.)

W. D. DAVIES.

PENDULUM REGULATOR FOR CLOCKS.

No; 339,867. Patented Apr. 13,- 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VALTER D. DAVIES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSlG-NOR TO TH E ANSONIA CLOCK COMPANY OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

PENDULUM-REGULATOR FOR CLOCKS.

EPBCIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 339,867, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed December 15, 1885. Serial No. 185,607. (No model.)

To all whom it 'HMLZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER D. Dawns, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New Yorlghave invented a new and useful Improvement in Pendulum-Regulators for Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention rel atesv particularly to that class of regulating devices which comprise a horizontal spindle or arbor extending to the front of the movement or case and serving, when turned, to raise or lower the pendulumsupport at the back of the movement.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple means, including an upright screw and a nut fitted thereto, and from which the pendulum-rod is suspended,whercby the turning movement of the regulator spindle or arher will produce the rise and fall of the pendulum -support, and whereby all danger of breakage or derangement of parts by overregulation produced by excessive turning of the regulatorspindle is avoided.

In carrying out my invention ll suspend the pendulum-rod from a out, which is held against turning by a suitable guide, along which it is traversed upward and downward by means of a vertical screw engaging with it. This screw is journaled in a bracket attached to the back plate of the movement, and is connected by gearing with the regulator arbor or spindle, which extends to the front of the movement. The screwthread and the arms of the bracket in which the screw is journalcd are so prov portioned that the nut may be moved entirely out of engagement with the screw, so that the continued turning of the regulator spindle or arbor will not produce any breakage or derangement of parts. After the nut has been raised out of engagement with the screwthread by the continued turning of the screw, it will come again into engagement with the thread when the screw is turned in an oppo-' site direct-ion. I also provide a spring whereby the screw is held downward with a yielding force, so as to permit it to yield upward slightly when the nut has, by the continued turning of the screw, been moved below the thread and against the lower portion of the bracket in which it is fitted. This spring permits the screw to yield upward, so that its thread may pass the thread of the nut when turned continuously in a direction to lower the nut, and when the screw is turned in the opposite direction the impulse downward,which it receives from said spring, will cause its thread to engage with the nut to raise the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a back view of such portions of a movement as are necessary to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section upon the plane of the dotted liner a", Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon the plane of the dotted line y F e- Similar letters of reference designate come sponding parts in the several figures.

A A designate the back and front plates of the movement, which are connected by posts (a in the usual way; and B designates the regulator spindle or arbor, which extends from the back plate, A, forward to the front of the movement or case, and is there squared to receive a key for turning it.

C designates a pendulum-rod having at the upper end the usual flexible portion, 0, which passes through a fork, 0, whereby the length of the oscillating portion of the pendulum is limited, and is attached at its upper end in the nut D, to which is fitted a screw, E.

The not D and the screw E constitute the essential elements of my regulating mechanism, and are here shown as supported and guided in a bracket, F, which is attached at d to the back plate, A, of the movement, and has laterally-projecting arms, in which the screw E is journaled. The form of the nut D is shown in Fig. 8, and it will be clearly there seen that by the bracket F the nut is guided in its movements upward and downward, and is prevented from turning.

The regulator arbor or spindle is connected by wheels 6 with the screw E, and it will be readily understood that by turning the spin dle or arbor B the vertical screw will be turned and the nut D will be raised or lowered, and will thereby vary the length of the pendulum-rod below the fork c.

I have here represented the screw as having portions of slightly-reduced diameter, f f, above and below its thread, and I have also shown a spring, 9, as applied beneath the upper arm of the bracket F, and by which the screw is held downward, and is yet permitted to yield upward or rise slightly in its bearings. The thread of the screw and the arms of the bracket F, in which the screw is journaled, are so proportioned that the nutD may be raised or 10 wered entirely out of engagement with the screw-thread, and hence there can be no breakage or derangement of parts by over-adjustment or by turning the spindle B too far in either direction.

Suppose, for example, that the spindle B be turned in a direction to raise the nut D. If such turning be continued, the nut will be raised up on the neck f and entirely out of engagement with the screw-thread, and no amount of turning in that direction will raise the nut any farther. If, however, the rotation of the screw-be reversed, the nut will, by its weight and the weight of the pendulum suspended from it, be caused again to engage with the thread of the screw, and will be lowered. If the spindle B be turned in a direction to lower the nut, and such turning continue, the nut will be moved down below the thread of the screw and against the lower arm of the bracket F, but the spring 9 will permit the screw to rise sufliciently to enable the end of its thread to pass the thread of the nut, and no amount of turning in that direction will break or derange the parts. \Vhen the direction of rotation of the screw is reversed, the spring 9 will, by its downward pressure on the screw, cause the thread thereof to engage with the nut, and the nut will then be raised.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the pendulu mrod and a nut from which it is'hung, of ascrew fitting the nut and bearings for the screw, the thread of the screw being of such length and the bearings so arranged that the nut may be lowered or raised clear of the thread, and a regulator-spindle geared with the screw for turning it, substantially as herein described. 1 2. The combination, with a pendulum-rod and a nut from which it is hung, of the bracket F, whereby the nut is guided and prevented from turning, the screw E, fitting the nut and journaled in the bracket, and having its thread so proportioned that the nut may run out of engagement therewith, a spring applied to the screw and permitting it to yield slightly upward, and a regulator-spindle geared with the screw for turning it, substantially as herein described.

WALTER D. DAVIES.

Witnesses:

HERBERT 0. SMITH, J OHN 0. SMITH. 

